Wolterk)
The U.S. Department of Education has launched an investigation into whether the University of Minnesota committed title six civil rights violations.
The investigation comes following a complaint filed by University of Minnesota law professor Richard Painter and former regent Michael Hsu. The complaint pointed to faculty members posting pro-Palestinian statements on an official university website.
Painter talked with WCCO Radio's Adam Carter about the investigation saying the university needs to think about its students when it comes to these websites.
"Whether we're blocking access, denying educational opportunities, to Jewish students or like I say, you could under a different context to Muslim students," explained Painter. "There are a lot of people in academia on the left that are very, very hostile to the teachings of Islam. And those sorts of things just don't belong on a faculty website."
Painter says that department websites within the College of Liberal Arts are for students to find faculty and course information and they aren't for faculty and staff to make statements like they are being alleged were posted there.
"And if we have these statements, on the faculty websites, faculty statements attacking Israel in this matter, we're going to have a situation where there's departments where Jewish students are simply not going to want to study," Painter tells WCCO.
Minnesota is among four universities along with a district name in this particular Department of Education's investigation, but there are dozens of schools nationally that they are looking at for similar concerns of discrimination.
“Hate has no place in our schools, period,” said U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona in December. “When students are targeted because they are—or are perceived to be—Jewish, Muslim, Arab, Sikh, or any other ethnicity or shared ancestry, schools must act to ensure safe and inclusive educational environments where everyone is free to learn.”
Wolterk)